Demonic Love Tale
by Ryuu The Dragon OverLord
Summary: GaaraxOC post-timeskip Gaara is the Kazekage and Riku Miyori has been 'protecting' him since he was six. What happens when he starts to feel for her? How will the village respond? Read to find out...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, We do not own Naruto. We do not own Gaara or his siblings, or Sunagakure. Even sadder, we do not own the title of Kazekage. We wish we did. All these thing things belong to Masashi Kishimoto, the author and artist of the all mighty Naruto manga! We do own Riku Miyori though….ngh. **

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_**Chapter One: The Dragon Wakes**_

All was dark, but within a few seconds the room was flooded with light from the window. A young sable-haired girl sat up in her bed, sleep still making her groggy. Her lime green eyes scanned the room to check if anything had moved from its resting place. The room was empty besides the bed by the window, a bedside table and a large cabinet opposite the bed. She slid her feet across the mattress and over the side of the bed. Her bare feet touched the freezing cold hard-wood floor. She sat up, letting her hair fall down her back. She brushed her bangs out of her face. The way her hair parted, her bangs hung in front of her left eye like a curtain. When she realized that her bangs wouldn't stay put, she tucked them behind her ear. Her left ear had one hoop at the top of the ear, a stud further down on the inside, three studs in her earlobe, and one more hoop at the bottom. Her right ear had two studs in the earlobe, then a hoop a little higher up. Below the last stud hung a beaded earring, with a detailed silver cross hanging half way to her shoulder. She stood up, allowing her white nightgown to fall into place. It was sleeveless and hung right down to just above her knees. She was making her way to the large wooden cabinet when she heard knocking at the door. She switched directions and walked towards the door. She unlocked the nine locks and seals on the door, and opened it to find the Kazekage himself standing there in his usual attire. When he saw her, his face grew somewhat red and he averted his gaze, suddenly finding the floor quite interesting.

"I would like you to accompany me to the meeting being held. Dress appropriately, for you will be in front of the council of Suna. You have ten minutes." With that, he turned around and started walking down the hall and around the corner. She watched him until he disappeared. What did he say? She shrugged and closed the door. She relocked it and walked back to her wooden cabinet. She pulled a dress off of a hanger and changed into it. It was a dark red, nearly blood red, and went just above her knees. It tied around her neck with a small red rope, and showed off her black dragon tattoo on her back. The area were her abdomen was, was made up of red fish-net, showing off her muscular abs. The dress was made of the finest silk in all of Suna, and was gift from the previous Kazekage. She grabbed a pair of shoes from the drawer beneath the hangers. They were shiny black leather and went to her knees, with inch high heels. She tied her hair up, fully exposing her tattoo. It was a black dragon, stretching from her left shoulder to her right hip. It was the silhouette of a dragon, not the actual dragon. Many people believed it to be an old scar, for if you stared at it long enough, the shape seemed to change. It was in fact a black dragon, the strongest of all dragon clans.

Once she was dressed, she unlocked the doors and stepped out into the hall. The door clicked shut behind her. She inhaled and exhaled. I hate meetings. Why do I have to go?  A masculine voice echoed through her mind. _**Because you swore to protect him, through thick and thin. **_She jumped at the voice. "Yeah, yeah. I know Ryuu." She started walking through the hallways, listening to the dragon's random comments. As she reached the huge double doors, she smirked as she imagined the Kazekage's reaction. The council's as well. She pushed open the doors and stepped inside.

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Gaara sighed. These people are hopeless. He rubbed his temples to ward off a growing headache. The double doors that led to the hall, suddenly opened, sending the papers flying across the room. He was about to yell at the person to get out, when he realized who it was. His eyes widened and his jaw opened slightly. The two perverts in the room stared at Riku, while the other woman glared at her. Gaara gave the perverts his famous death-glare. He turned around to address her, but he couldn't keep his eyes of her curves. She walked over to him and kneeled beside him. Gaara blushed and tried not look down her dress. "Thank you for coming…Riku." Gaara motioned for her to sit next to him. She stood and walked to his other side. As she kneeled down, conversation started up again. They discussed the state of the village, taxes, and the decreasing amount of missions. "So who's your little girlfriend, my lord?" Gaara narrowed his eyes. "She is not my girlfriend. She is my appointed bodyguard." The woman gave a high pitched giggle. "The Kazekage, in need of a bodyguard? Preposterous. Besides, she's so…so…under-developed." Riku's hands fisted in her lap, and she gritted her teeth painfully. "Come on Ivy, she isn't that bad. Besides, who are you to boast?" Ivy flushed and turned her head from the two laughing men. One man motioned for Riku to come over to him. She glanced at Gaara. He was trying to glare a hole into the table, and she could have sworn it was working. She reached over and touched his arm. He flinched and looked at her. "May I?" He looked at the man asking for her presence. His name was Rufus, and he was an A class pervert. He was looking at Riku with a mischievous look in his eye, and Gaara felt like killing him right there. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Be careful…Rii." She smiled and nodded.

She got up and sat down in between the two men. One of them put his arm around her shoulders. "You're a pretty one aren't you?" Rufus chuckled. "Stop hogging her Lukas." Lukas childishly stuck his tongue out. Riku giggled. Gaara meanwhile was sulking, quietly. The conversation about the threat of Sound began, and Riku started to space out again. She was soon brought out of her thoughts by Rufus' hand on her thigh. It was very high up, and was quite an uncomfortable situation. She squeezed her eyes shut and grit her teeth. _**Do you want me tell Gaara? **_ The truth was, Riku desperately wanted to tell him, but was afraid to. She didn't want him to be angry with her. But what if…? She heard a growl in her mind. _**I'm telling him. **_Riku widened her eyes and looked at Gaara from the corner of her eye. He seemed to be listening to something. His eyes suddenly narrowed and his teeth sharpened. She closed her eyes. Oh no…

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The guard outside of the room yawned. It had been a very boring day, and the only exciting thing had been seeing Riku again. The people only ever saw her when she accompanied the Kazekage to meetings or events. He yawned again. The sound of feet echoed and he immediately snapped to attention. Temari, Kankorou, and Baki walked up to him. They were personal advisors to the Kazekage himself, and deserved the utmost respect. Baki opened his mouth to ask a question, but instead of words…BANG! CRASH! BOOM! Everyone looked at him. "Wasn't me." The door creaked, and a crack appeared. Sand began trickling out. Temari and Kankorou glanced at each other, right before the doors exploded. A wave of sand went right by them, the council member's bodies with it. They glanced inside to see Gaara standing in front of Riku, breathing heavily. Riku was sitting down and waved at them. "Eheh. Hi." Baki smacked his forehead with his hand. "Ugh." Temari walked over to Riku and hugged her. "What did those bad men do to you?" Riku sweat dropped. Kankorou cautiously walked over to Gaara. He patted his shoulder. "Uh…are you okay?" Gaara brushed his hand off. "I'm. Fine." He walked quickly out of the room and down the hall. Riku giggled from within Temari's death grip. She seemed to be the only one to notice that Gaara had been blushing.

(Line)

Kila: Well. I think I wrote about 3 written pages. How about you?

Ryu: Um…I wrote 1…sweat drop

Kila: *sigh* I'm seeing a pattern here.

Ryu: Eheheh.

Kila: Tune in next time to see how Riku calms down Gaara! Will things get physical?

Ryu: Bow-chicka-bow-wow!

Naruto: Why aren't I in this fanfic?

Ryu: Maybe you will…maybe

Naruto: Yay!


	2. Chapter 2

Kila: Yay! Chapter Two! *wearing a foam finger and a soda hat*

Ryu…

Kila: Show some emotion Ryu.

Ryu….woot….

Kila" *smacks forehead with hand*

**Review Replies: Unfortunately we have to answer your reviews this way, due to technical difficulties.**

Kita Kudia: Please do! We need reviews! They fuel our motivation. Seriously.

**Disclaimer: We don't own anything in Naruto. We own Riku and Ryuu. As well as the plot.**

**NOTE: **Theplain bold script is Riku's thoughts, and the italic bold script is Ryuu. Plain italic is Gaara.

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_**Chapter Two: Mistakes**_

Riku was walking towards the Kazekage's office. She wanted to know if he was angry with her. _**Are you stupid?! He's not angry! He was blushing for gods' sake! **_The moonlight hit her through a window as she reached the doors. The two guards nodded at her. Well, one did. The other winked at her. One of the guards was a fifty year old man, soon to be retiring. The other was sixteen, and the old man's son. Riku rolled her eyes and walked past him. The doors swung open, revealing Gaara sleeping on his desk. Riku blinked. **Wait, he sleeps? **Gaara let out a soft snore, and she nearly fell over trying not to laugh. When she was done, she closed the doors and sneaked over to his desk. Her past goal forgotten, she smirked. _**What are you doing? **_**You'll see. **Riku lifted up a single finger and poked him in the neck. He turned over in his sleep, causing him to fall out of his chair. On top of Riku. His eyes fluttered open. The only thing he could see was red fabric. _Wait, isn't Riku's dress red? _He lifted his head to find he had fallen on her in his sleep. His head had been resting right below her chest, and his legs had been sprawled across her own. Riku's eyes were wide, and her hair had come untied. He blushed and quickly got up off her. Riku's face was as red as her dress, as she stood. "I was trying to wake you up…I'm s-sorry." Gaara nodded. "T-thanks."

"I-I wanted to ask you about this afternoon…" Gaara was now at his desk rearranging his papers. "What about this afternoon?" Riku hesitated, before bowing. "Thank you, my lord." Gaara's jaw unhinged. Riku continued, ignoring the oh so amusing look on his face. "I was afraid of asking for help because…" Gaara had recovered and placed a single finger on her lips. For once in a very long time, he smiled at her. Riku blinked as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You don't need to say anything. My father gave you to me for protection. Some thing you protect me from, others I protect you from." Riku closed her eyes and put her arms around his waist. At that moment, the young guard chose to open the door to check on Riku. He blushed and quickly closed the door. The noise startled the two and they jumped apart. She gave a quick bow from the waist and walked out of the room, blushing. She kept on walking until she reached her room. She opened her door and walked in. She closed the door quickly, relocked it, put up the seals, and walked to her bed. She face planted into the soft sheets, and covered her head with a pillow. _**What is wrong, hatchling? **_**I can't believe it. Why would he have done something like that? I'm just his bodyguard, right? **_**You still don't get it?! Oh well. You'll just have to figure it out yourself. Now please leave me be. It has been an eventful day. I'm going to sleep and I suggest you follow suit. **_**Goodnight Ryuu. **_**Goodnight, hatchling. **_Riku placed the now squarshed pillow back onto the bed, and lay her head on it. She closed her eyes and drifted off into sleep.

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In the morning….

Riku woke up and realized that she was on the floor. **Damn. **She pushed herself up off the floor and into a sitting position. She looked up at her bed. **Where's my blanket? **_**Your sitting on it. **_**Oh. Oops. ** She shook her head at her idiocy and stood up. She walked over to her wooden cabinet and opened it. She looked through the clothes and smiled. **Perfect. **_**What are you wearing THAT for? **_**I'm going out today. **_**What?! You can't do that! Gaara will get upset with you! Don't risk it! **_**Go away. **She gave a silly little giggle as she picked out an outfit. She closed the cabinet doors and walked towards the bed. She laid the outfit down. She undressed, then redressed. The outfit consisted of a black skirt, black shirt, and black shoes. The skirt was leather and reached a centimeter from her knees. The shirt was a tube top, with separate black sleeves. They started at the top part of her arms, and were suspended by thick leather bands. Underneath was a fishnet t-shirt. She was wearing black fingerless gloves that went to her wrist. She wore fishnet tights underneath the skirt as well. Her boots were shiny black leather, and went to just above her knees. They were one inch heels, and laced up from the ankle to the top of the shoes. When she was done tying her shoes, she stood up and went into the bathroom. She brushed her long layered hair and let it hang around her back, and then past her shoulders in the front. She played around with her bangs so that they hung in front of her face. They went to just above her eyes, and they were messy, not straight. She picked up her makeup case. **Might as well. **She applied black mascara, and then she put black eyeliner all around her eyes to make them appear brighter. She then put on a dark eye shadow. **I'm missing something…Ah! Right! **She took out blood red lipstick and put it on. **Perfect. Like it? **_**Yeah. I guess. **_**What do you mean 'you guess'? Either you like it or you don't! **_**It's… flashy. **_**Exactly. **_**Oh.**_

She threw a black cloak over her clothes and pulled the hood up over her face. She unsealed the door and stepped through it into the hallway. She crouched and sprinted into the lobby, on all fours. She rolled military style past the desk and through the door, hiding behind a sign. She poked her head out from behind it. She ran across the street and into a bar. She took off the hood while she walked into it. She took a seat at the end of the bar. The bartender walked towards her. "What would you like, miss?"

"A tonic, please."

"You got it." The man turned around to prepare her drink. He turned and handed it to her. "Thank you." The man nodded his head and walked into the back. The man sitting next to her started to talk. "What's your name, sweet thing?"

"None of your business."

"Okay what's your number?"

"1-800- screw off." She looked at her drink. The man reached over and grabbed her rear end. She put her drink down and took the cloak off completely. She grabbed his head and broke his own drink with it. Then she sat down.

"Another drink, please!"

(Line)

Four drinks later….

She staggered out of the bar door and nearly fell. She caught on to the wall and pulled herself to a standing position. She leaned on the wall for a moment, and then started to walk down the street. It was dark out, and she could barely see clearly. **Gaara's probably looking for me. **She giggled. A man knocked into her and she ran into another man who threw her into a wall. _**Ri-are-you-**_** Ryuu? I can't… hear you. **A hand grabbed her shoulders, lifting her to her feet. "Riku? Thank god I found you." She looked up through hazy eyes. "K-Kankurou?" He put a hand on her forehead. "Oh crap. Your drunk, aren't you?" She giggled and put her arms around his neck. She had on a sultry smile and was standing far too close for comfort. "I could be if you wanted me to." She backed him against the wall behind him. "R-riku? What are you doing?!" He blushed as she ran her fingers down his chest and purred. She placed her hands under his shirt and started to move them down. She made her lips brush against his when they heard someone clear their throat. She looked up as Kankurou pushed her away.

"I swear, I didn't do anything Gaara. She pushed herself on me, I swear." Gaara glared at him. "Go. Home. Now." Kankurou gulped and quickly ran out of the alley. Riku fell to her knees and started to rub her face and hands up and down his legs. He flushed and gritted his teeth. Sand lifted her up and enclosed her, keeping her immobile. She wiggled around, trying to break free. Gaara had a sad look as he watched her. "Please Riku." She could barely hear him. Alcohol had greatly dampened her sense, and she had no idea where she was. Suddenly, the haze cleared. What greeted her was like front row seats to a horror movie. Gaara watched in silence, as two tears fell from her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She kept repeating that until her voice was hoarse. Gaara's eyes softened and the sand dropped her into his arms. He sat down with her in his lap, and her arms around her neck. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Gaara stroked her hair. "Shhhh." Riku sobbed invisible tears as she slowly slipped into unconsciousness. Gaara sighed. "Baki. Come out of the shadows." Baki stepped out from behind a telephone pole. "How much of it did you see?" Baki glanced at Riku. "All of it." Gaara thought for a moment. "Take Riku home and inform Temari she's safe." Baki sighed in relief. "Yes, my lord." Gaara picked up Riku bridal-style and passed her to Baki. He quickly teleported, leaving the sand-master in the alley. He rubbed his temples and sighed. "Oh Rii, what am I to do with you?"

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Riku groaned as she woke to a dark room. **What the…? **She sat up and gasped. She of course had a splitting headache. "Oww." _**Thank god! I hoped you would wake up today! **_Riku clutched her head in pain. ** You're not helping Ryuu! And what do you mean today?! **_**You've been out for two days. Having a hangover of both you and I can hurt you know. **_Riku sighed and glanced around. She was back in her room, in her bed. She was also wearing the same outfit and it was very wrinkled. "Ngh. Need new clothes. Urgh." She crawled out of bed, falling onto the floor. She groaned, and crawled across the floor to her dresser. She pulled out an outfit and struggled into it, al the while laying on the ground. It was a long-sleeved maroon sweater, soft to the touch. Her pants were blues jeans with red river stones on the belt loops. Her shoes were black high heeled sandals. She had a thick leather collar on, and matching wristbands. She scratched her hair, and absentmindedly wondered if she should apply some makeup. **Should brush my hair and teeth though. **She walked into the bathroom and brushed her hair and teeth. She scrubbed her face and toweled herself off. As she was doing so, someone knocked on her door. She quickly ran to the door and unsealed it. She looked up, surprised at who had came to see her. "Kankurou?"

(Line)

Kila: "Mwahahaha! Cliffhanger!"

Ryu: *strangling Kila* "Damn you to hell!"

Kila: "Been there, its nice."

Ryu: "…"


	3. Chapter 3

Kila: Yay! Chapter three!

Ryu: Woot!

Kila: You're showing emotion today! Oh yeah!

Ryu: You think we've had enough sugar yet?!

Kila: Nope!

**WARNING: MINOR SHIPPUDEN SPOLIERS!!!**

**Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto. We own Riku, Ryuu, and the plot.**

(Line)

_**Chapter Three: Confessions**_

He smiled weakly. "Hi. You busy?" Riku paused. "Well…I was thinking of having a talk with Gaara." Kankorou seemed to wilt. "Oh." He began to walk away, until Riku grabbed his arm. "Wait!" He turned and looked at her. "Don't you have to go see your darling Gaara?" The poison laced in his words made her recoil, as if she'd been slapped. Kankorou turned and walked down the hall and out of sight. Riku closed and sealed her doors, sliding down to rest on the floor. She hugged her knees. **Oh, what did I do this time?! **_**He's probably developing feelings for you. **_**I doubt it. Even if he was, why would he be ticked off? **_**Maybe he's upset that the first thing you want when you wake up is to see Gaara. And after what happened last night…**_** Did I do something last night? **_**…please tell me you're joking. **_**All I remember is the jerk in the bar trying to pick me up. **_***sigh* Just perfect. Here's an idea! Go ask Gaara. He'll probably be the only one to give you a straight answer. **_She distinctly heard a snickering in the back of her mind, as she unsealed her doors and began walking towards the Kazekage's office. **What am I getting myself into this time? **_**You'll see. **_She bowed to the guards and opened the doors. **Damn dragon. **Another laugh in her mind, and she rolled her eyes. Riku ignored the dragon's hysterics and surveyed the room. Gaara was at his desk, signing papers. He took a piece of paper off of a mountain of others and sighed. "Um…Gaara?" The Kazekage jumped a foot. "Who? What? Where? When?" Riku blinked then burst into laughter. "You… oh my god… that's funny!" Gaara meanwhile had turned completely red.

"I see you're awake." Riku managed to nod as her laughter subsided. "Did you need to see me Riku?" She froze, then bowed deeply. "I don't remember anything of the night I passed out." Silence. She looked up to see his right eye twitching, as he gave her a 'what the –beep- are you talking about?!' look. "I might have had too much to drink, and my memory is blank."

"M-might?! You don't even remember what you drank do you?!" She paused for a moment, then shook her head. "N-no." Gaara growled at her and she knew a lecture was coming. _**Brace yourself… **_"You really **are** a simpleton! How could you be so naïve?! You went and got yourself drunk, sent a grown man to the hospital, tried to seduce my brother, and you think that you didn't do anything wrong!!" Riku glared at him. "I didn't mean to do any of that! I'm sorry, **sir**, but have you even thought that **maybe **you were the one causing all of my stress?! Huh! Thought of that?!" Gaara blinked in surprise. "Me..? H-how could **I **have done that?" Riku cracked her knuckles subconsciously. "I'm always confused around you. I can't make decisions and be sure if I'm right any more. You fog things up. You always protect me, even though I'm supposed to be protecting **you**. I've become attached…more then I'm allowed." She blushed and turned her head. Gaara opened and closed his mouth a few times, then fell silent. "Riku…I…" She sighed and nodded. "I know. I've been through this before. 'A monster like me has no right to have emotions.' You don't have to tell me, I'll go." Riku's bangs hung in front of her eyes as she began to tear up. She turned quickly towards the door, but stopped when sand wrapped around her waist and wrists. She whipped her head around to see Gaara walking towards her. He had a kind, compassionate look in his eyes. The sand began to pull Riku towards him and she gasped.

**Well this isn't normal. **_**Run! Run for your life! **_Riku ignored the dragon's comment, although she was shaking quite a bit. She only then noticed that he had wrapped his arms around her waist. She turned her head so that she didn't have to look him in the eye. She felt his warm breath on her neck and shivered. "Rii, you should know by know that I would never say that. I went through that as well, remember?" An image of Yashamaru (1) flashed through her mind and she nodded. Gaara chuckled lightly. "Although, this subject hasn't exactly come up in our conversations." He ran a finger down her cheek and forced her to look at him. He wiped her tears away and then did something that only ever happened in her dreams. He kissed her. She stood frozen, as his lips met hers. For a moment she couldn't breathe. Then she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. She felt his hold on her waist tighten as he held her closer. Suddenly, the doors flew open, allowing a draft to flood over the office. Baki stood in the doorway, panting.

"Lord Kazekage, please hurry! Suna is under attack! We need your ass-." _**They need his…ass? What the hell…? Riku, you might want to hold on tight. Apparently they need his ass. **_By the time Ryuu had said this, Riku was on the other side of the room, blushing like mad. Gaara sighed. He had finally kissed her, and then they were interrupted. He walked towards Baki surprisingly calm. Baki bowed and resumed his report. "We require your assistance. The enemies are two rebel shinobi from the Akatsuki organization." Riku's eyes widened. She had read about the Akatsuki in Gaara's reports. She knew that they were here for Shukaku. To rule the world with the tailed demons was their goal. Gaara gritted his teeth. "Do they seem to have a goal?" Baki shook his head. "It's just chaos out there. It's as if their stalling for something. At the moment they are headed here though, sir." _**Riku, keep Gaara inside! Their only attacking Suna to get a hold of him! Hurry! Hold him down! Quickly! **_**Shut up. **Riku looked at Baki. "Baki! Close the doors and windows! I'll lock them from the inside. Then call all of the shinobi and tell them to brace themselves. A storm is coming, and we're going to be smack in the middle of it."

(Line)

"Damn man! It's hot out here, un. How aren't you hot in there Sasori-danna?" Sasori rolled his eyes. He was in fact quite hot, but his pride would not allow himself to complain. Deidara was the complete opposite. Ever since they had entered the land of sand, he had been complaining about the heat. Their mission was quite simple really. "Lure the Kazekage out, trap him, capture him. Simple right?" He sighed. **Nothing is ever simple with Deidara. **He glanced at the blonde, now 'dragging' himself beside the puppet master. "Deidara. Quit your complaining and we can get this mission over with." Deidara cheered and then slumped over crying. "TOO HOT!" Sasori gritted his teeth, as the village came into view. "Shut up."

(Line)

Riku locked the last window and then headed back towards Gaara's office. Before she had begun sealing the windows, she had gone back to her room and changed into 'battle attire'. She was wearing a long leather jacket that fell to her ankles. It was long-sleeved and had a collar that rested just below her chin. The zipper went from the edge of the collar, till her ribcage. The sides and back continued down to her ankles. She wore black pants that had a black lather belt around her waist. Silver skulls adorned it's surface and gave her a 'biker-chick' appearance. Her shoes were black leather and went slightly above her knees, with thin heels. On her hands was black leather, fingerless gloves. Her bangs were pulled into a small bun at the back of her head. Small gold pins were pushed into the bun. Her make up was black mascara, blood red lipstick, eyeliner, and a dark eye shadow. She reached the large double doors and opened them. She walked inside and closed the doors. She then started using charka to seal the door shut. When she turned around she not only saw the Kazekage, but his older brother as well. _**Well that's a surprise… is he staying here too?**_Riku repeated what the dragon was thinking. "s he staying as well?" Silence. "Um…so…Gaara, are you okay with this? You know the fact that you kind of can't do anything…"_** Um…wrong thing to say…. **_Gaara twitched. "Not…helping!" **She's ignoring me, **thought Kankurou. BOOM! Everyone jumped. There was suddenly rapid banging on the door.

"Please! Please, Lord Kazekage! I'm one of your ninja! I just got promoted to Chunin! I don't want to die!!" A young male voice said through the doors. There was suddenly a blood curdling scream and then a thump. Blood pooled under the door and into the room. Everyone got ready for battle. A deep male voice came through the door.

"So this is it, un? I hope it's air-conditioned."

"Gaara please stay behind me, their here." _**Obviously… **_Riku moved in front of Gaara, shielding him. She reached for the two pins in her hair, and they transmuted into twin blades. They were straight, thin, and sharpened to a point. She took one in each hand and braced herself. She heard Crow hit the floor as Kankurou unraveled the bandages. Gaara tensed up behind her, as the pounding became more persistent. "Why won't the door open, un?" Kankurou twitched, making Crow's joints rattle. Riku looked over her shoulder at Gaara. "Are you all right, sir?" He looked at her. "…no."

"What's wrong?" She was surprised at his honesty on the subject. "We are up against two members of the Akatsuki. You have to be careful. Knowing you, you won't back down while my life is on the line, but please be careful. I don't…want you to die." A mixed look of compassion and concern crossed his face. Riku was silent for a minute before answering. "…of course. If I died, who'd protect you?" She heard Kankurou scoff, as she looked back at the door. _**That isn't what your afraid of, your afraid of me being set free. You selfish son of a bitch! **_The voice started to grow louder and became much more hostile. Without realizing it, Ryuu allowed Gaara to hear the entire conversation. _**You really are something! Do you not remember all the times I've assisted you?! **_**I didn't mean that at all Ryuu…**_** I can't believe it! Do you have any idea how shameful it is for a GOD to be exiled and trapped in a human body?! Do you?! **_ "Open up god damn it, un!"

Suddenly another explosion went off and the door had a huge hole in it. The debris stayed in a single chunk and was flung straight at Gaara. Riku swiftly moved around his sand and sliced the object in a X motion with her swords. She then braced herself. **Ryuu…I don't know how being a god trapped inside a human is like. But I do know what being a human with a god inside them is like. **_**They don't have any similarities! You have a solid body, and you can choose what happens in your life! I'm a voice in the back of some love sick, paranoid mortal! I don't even have half of my original power. So I dare you to say that we're similar. **_**You're right. It does suck. But I have no privacy at all. It doesn't matter what I'm doing, or where I am. You're always with me. My family and my entire village nearly killed me, just because of you. Do you know how that feels Ryuu? **_**I don't care. **_Riku flinched. **That's a comfort. **A young man stepped through the giant hole. His long, blonde hair fell to his shoulders and was tied up in a ponytail. His bangs were parted and covered his left eye. He wore the black and red Akatsuki cloak and a Stone Village headband across his forehead. His one visible eye was bright blue and sparkled with mischief. "Heh heh. I got through Sasori-danna!" A grunt was heard and a menacingly tall man stepped into the room. He had black cloth covering the bottom half of his face, and was slouched over quite a bit. From underneath the cloak, one could see a scorpion looking tail. Riku gulped. He was very tall and bulky, and she bet he could back it up with muscle. Oh, and did I mention he was tall? Gaara's sand moved in front of her momentarily blocking her vision. She turned slightly, so she could see him.

He motioned for her to come closer. She quickly moved to his side, not making a sound. As the complaints of the blonde grew louder, Gaara wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her against him. She lightly blushed, as he whispered in her ear. "Your not selfish Riku. You're the most selfless person I've met besides Naruto." An image of a hyper-active blonde boy jumped into her mind, and she couldn't help but smile. Riku blinked. "Wait…how did you know?" Gaara's grip on her waist tightened, as cracks began to form in the sand wall. "I heard Ryuu. Now listen to me. You must fight Deidara away from here. His bombs will only cause more damage to this building." He placed a finger on her lips, as she began to protest. "Hush. Kankurou and I can take care of ourselves." Riku glanced at the puppeteer. He stood tensed, waiting for the sand to fall. Their eyes met momentarily, and he nodded slowly. Riku's eyes softened. She removed Gaara's hand from her waist and walked in front of them both. _**You know what? I think I'll do the fighting this time. **_**W-what? ** Riku began to panic as her chakra began to circle her. It suddenly turned a sickly black and she screamed.

"What is in this stuff, un?!" A final explosion and the sand wall fell. What they saw, was not three sand shinobi. They found a black whirlwind of chakra emitted by a single girl. She threw her head back and screamed. Or, tried to. What came out was only describable as 'inhuman'. She opened her now glowing eyes and zeroed in on Sasori and Deidara. The black light faded and entered her body. All was silent and then she fell to her knees. A ripping sound was heard, and two black wings emerged from her back. They seemed to be made of black mist. Black scales coated her hands, forming nightmarish gauntlets. A long black mist tail sprouted from her tailbone. She threw her head back and screeched, as black horns sprouted from her temple. She hunched over breathing hard. Kankurou and Gaara stood frozen, as a deep chuckle was heard. It heightened until 'she' was laughing maniacally. Gaara's eyes narrowed. "Riku."

'Riku' opened her eyes. They had turned completely black, with red slits. "Riku's not here right now. Leave a message after I kill you."

(Line)

Kila: *unconscious*

Ryu: *poke* "Uh-oh…"

Kila: *twitch*

Ryu: "I think I killed her…"*shrugs* "Review please!" __


	4. Chapter 4

Kila: "You owe me."

Ryu: "Eep! I'll write more!"

Kila: *choking Ryu* "10 written pages! **10!!"**

Ryu: "ACK!"

**Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto. We own the OCs and the plot.**

(Line)

_**Chapter Four: Realm of Darkness**_

Deidara and Sasori blinked. "Is that a…demon?" 'Riku' smirked. "Not quite." Her voice sounded echoed and much deeper. Kankurou twitched. "What…the…hell…?" Deidara's eyes widened. "Holy shit, un!" This little outburst attracted Ryuu and he ran straight for the startled man. He aimed a kick right into Deidara's jaw, sending him flying through the roof. Ryuu jumped through the crumbling hole after him. He landed on all fours, wings folded against his back. He glanced around, tail twitching. "Come out, come out little Blondie." He snickered. He heard the cloak's fabric rustle, as the young man appeared behind him. Ryuu quickly jumped to the other side of the roof, as Deidara tried to attach a bomb to his tail. Ryuu smirked as the bomb detonated in Deidara's hand. The smirk faded, as the smoke seemed to be sucked into his hands. Deidara stuck out his tongue and showed Ryuu the palms of his hands. In the middle of each, was a fanged mouth. "**This **is my secret. Now…tell me yours!" Deidara crouched down, arms spread wide. The hairs on the back of Ryuu's neck stood on end, and he quickly jumped to a different rooftop.

A cloud of dust appeared, as another explosion went off. Ryuu's eyes narrowed as he searched for his opponent in the dust. His ears picked up the sound of wing beats, and he frowned. Suddenly, a humongous beak clamped down on Ryuu's torso. He screeched in surprise and turned to see the blonde riding a huge clay eagle. Ryuu growled fiercely, then sliced the eagle's chest open with his claws. The earthen creature dropped him, and he twisted around to land on all fours. He back-flipped away from Deidara, and landed in a crouched position, in the middle of the street. Luckily the people of Suna had hidden themselves, not daring to interfere with the battle. Ryuu watched, tense, as the eagle took to the skies with a screech of its own. Ryuu smirked. " You wish to fight **me**, the ruler of the skies, in my own element?!" Ryuu stood and unfolded his wings with a crisp snap. He chuckled as he prepared to launch himself into the sky. "You foolish mortal!!"

(Line)

Riku groaned, as she regained consciousness. Her eyes immediately snapped open and she sat up, "Gaara!" Her voice echoed as she sat frozen. **Where am I?! **She waited for Ryuu's snide comment, but nothing came. **Wait… **She remembered what had happened in Gaara's office and gasped. That small noise sounded enormous, echoing off the forest. **Wait, forest? **Riku glanced around quickly. She was surrounded by black trees and grass. The sky and the earth were black as well. Above her, a red moon hung. She shivered. **Almost like the Tsukiyomi… **She blinked. **What the hell am I wearing?! ** Instead of her leather jacket and pants, Riku was wearing a long white gown. It was past her feet and the sleeves hung at her waist. Near the bust line, which was quite low, a green Celtic design was stitched. She felt the back and found that it was all lace. She felt her ears for her earrings and found none. She stood and found that she was wearing white slippers as well. Riku growled. She turned and began walking in a random direction. A few hours later Riku ended up right back where she started. She twitched and turned a different way. Another hour passed, and she still ended up at the meadow. Riku gave a scream of frustration and sank to her knees. She wrapped her arms around herself and sobbed. Quite sure that she was alone, she finally let her desperation to be visible.

"Why is this happening?! Where am I?! What the hell is going on?!?!" Her sobs began to shake her body as she finally began to cry. "Gaara, Kankurou, Ryuu…help." She waited in silence for an answer that she knew wouldn't come. She managed to dry her tears and stood up. **I musn't give up yet. Gaara and Suna need me. **She walked towards a tree and quickly climbed it. She stood at the top and looked out at the dark forest. All she could see was an ocean ob black. Riku closed her eyes and sighed. A flash of silver light caused her to open her eyes and look behind her. Waves of silver light struck the trees around her, and she felt them vibrate. She quickly jumped down, as the world around her changed from black to silver. The moon blazed a brilliant gold, the very sky turned white. Riku shut her eyes tight from the pain of the bright light. The vibrating stopped, and Riku slowly opened her eyes. The forest looked as though someone had lowered it into a tank of aluminum. Riku slowly began to walk towards what had been the source of the strange waves.

After a few moments, Riku came upon a pair of huge gold, padlocked gates. The golden chains wrapped around the door, keeping it closed. Riku walked to the back and stood directly behind it. **A door. Chained shut. In the middle of friggin' nowhere. **Riku shook her head and walked to the front of the door. "Well, I don't have a key-" She gasped and doubled over as her heart began to hurt. "Ow, ow, ow…" Another needle of pain and she found herself being pulled towards a pool of clear cool water. She cupped some in her hands and drank, hoping to ease the pain in her heart. It worked, and she slumped over in a sigh of relief. She looked in the water more closely and her eyes widened. An image of herself fighting Deidara appeared. Except she wasn't herself. Her eyes had a crazed look, not to mention the wings and tail. **That…can't be me! **The image shifted, and she saw Gaara and Kankurou fighting Sasori. They were being led away from the village. She frowned. "Wasn't their aim to kill Gaara…?" A twig snapped behind her and she spun a round. Riku blinked. In front of her was a white-tailed deer. Its antler, hooves, and spots were all made of silver. It eyed her cautiously, as it moved to sit across from her by the pool. Riku sat and stared at the deer. "Staring is rude." Riku jumped up in fright. "Who said that?!"

"I did." Riku looked around. The only thing close was… **The deer…? **Riku sat beside the deer and pointed at it. "Did you…?" The deer nodded. "Correct." Riku twitched. "HOW'S THAT POSSIBLE?!" The deer chuckled. "Calm yourself, my child. I mean you no harm." Riku's shoulders slumped. "But it doesn't make any sense…" The deer rolled its eyes. It directed its attention towards the pool, and Riku followed its gaze. The two men were chasing Sasori through the outskirts of the village gates. "Hmm. I believe that they are walking directly into a trap." Riku frowned. "How can you tell?" The deer looked directly in her eyes and she gasped. Its eyes were pure silver, with no pupil. "I see things that have yet to pass, and things that already have. I know because I have seen the end result." Riku gritted her teeth. "Damn! And I'm stuck in here!" The deer silently watched her. "You wish to leave?"

Riku lifted her head. "Of course! Do you know how?!" The deer nodded its head towards the door. "Through there." The hope in Riku's eyes instantly faded and she hung her head. "I don't have the key. Damn it!" The deer stood and walked towards the door. Riku watched as the deer held the engraved lock in its teeth and tugged. Nothing happened and it tugged again, harder this time. The chain creaked and groaned, as they were slowly separated from the lock. With an ear-drum piercing noise, the chains and lock fell from the door. Riku ran to the door. Her jaw hung down, as the deer placed its front hooves on the door. It slowly slid its antlers into the hole in the door, and turned its head to the left. With an echoing click, the doors swung outwards. The deer was blown back, flying into the trees. Riku moved towards the deer, but stopped when the pain in her heart returned. "Aah!" Riku doubled over in pain, as the blue light from the doors engulfed her. The light vanished and the doors closed. The chains and lock resealed themselves on the door. The deer stood, shaking, and faced the doors. "Good luck, my hatchling."

(Line)

Ryuu flew through the eagle's beak, leaving a trail of blood behind. Deidara had gotten in a lucky shot, and had injured his entire left side. His arm hung useless at his side. He swerved to avoid the eagle's claws, and ripped off a hunk from its leg. So far, Ryuu had remained in one piece. The eagle was not so lucky. On of its legs was missing, and their were several large holes in its throat and chest. Deidara himself was covered in blood, having had Ryuu's claws through his back. His arm was broken and his chakra all but spent. He had no bombs and no way of winning this fight. Ryuu would surely kill him. He gasped as Ryuu tore off the eagle's neck, and landed in front of him. Deidara gulped and moved back. Seeing as how the eagle was no longer functioning, they were falling through the air quite fast. Ryuu smirked in triumph, and pinned Deidara down by his throat. Deidara closed his eyes and waited for the claws to tear through his throat. Ryuu raised his clawed hand. A sharp pain in his heart stopped him. He shrieked in rage, as he felt himself being pulled away from Deidara and back into his inner realm of darkness. Their skipped a beat, and then Riku was back in control. She fell beside Deidara on her back, and shuddered as the wings, tail, and horns retracted into her body. Deidara blinked. "What the-"At that moment, the broken eagle finally reached the ground. The buildings shook from the impact. Riku groaned as she awoke once again. **Damn, I've been doing that a lot… **_**Damn you. **_**Ryuu?! I'm…sorry, but Gaara's walking into a trap! I have to warn him! **_**If you haven't yet noticed, your entire left side is numb. You can't move. **_**…shit.** Riku tried to sit up and nearly screamed in pain.

Her eyes slowly clouded over, as she saw a blurry figure running towards her. "Riku! RIKU!" She heard Temari running towards her. She no longer had the energy to respond, as the other side of her body went numb. She barely felt Temari pick her up, or her shout as Deidara crawled out of the rubble. All she saw was a whirlwind of sand, and then all was black.

(line)

Kila: "…" *glaring*

Ryu: "What?" *fake innocent smile*

Kila: "….." *Still glaring* "You. Didn't. Write. Anything."

Ryu: "Eheh…I'll make it up to you don't worry!"


	5. Chapter 5

Ryu+ Kila: "It's Friday, It's Friday!" *skipping around like lunatics*

Silk: "…You guys are…idiots."

Ryu: "SHUT UP SILK!"

Kila: "And…she talks to herself." *sigh* "Silk is Ryu, but not really…it's…confusing."

**Reviews:**

**Gaara-frenzy: **Here's your update!

**Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto. We own the OCs and the plot.**

(Line)

_**Chapter Five: Kidnapped**_

Riku stirred in her bed. **Wait…bed? **She bolted upright, and opened her eyes. Everything was white, like she was looking directly into a light. "Ah…ah…AHHH!!" The door opened and two figures ran into the room. One stood at the end of the bed, while the other sat beside her with their arms around her. "Shh…its okay…you're safe now." The voice sounded very familiar. "T-temari?" Riku was now crying. "Why can't I see?"

"Your chakra messed up your sight. It should come back soon, just relax."

"…Baki?"

"Yes."

"W-where's Gaara?! Is he okay?!"

Temari answered. "Unfortunately, he was taken. We were too late." The words stung Riku like a dagger through the heart. Her voice was only a whisper/ "And Kankurou?"

"He's in the next room over…" Riku jumped up, only in a white sleeping gown, and ran out into the hall. "Wait! Riku!" Riku ran into the other door and closed it behind her. She locked the door and put a seal on the door. She turned on the light and turned to Kankurou. He sat in the bed with only black sweatpants on. Bandages covered his right shoulder, torso, and more from his right elbow to his fingertips. **Yeowch. **_**No kidding. **_Kankurou blinked. "Riku? What's wrong?" She managed to stumble over to the edge of the bed and sat beside him. Everything was still white, and she felt the warmth of tears on her cheeks. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Kankurou twitched. "W-what's wrong?!" Riku moved closer to him. He blushed and put an arm around her. "C'mon Riku, tell me what's wrong." Riku sniffed and looked up at him. "I…can't see anything." Kankurou's jaw dropped. "And Gaara's **gone. **I don't know what to do! I can't even walk a straight line anymore!" Riku stopped as her sobs became more violent, shaking her body. "C'mon, don't cry. We'll ask Konoha for help. Their Hokage is one of the Sannin, Tsunade. She could definitely help us." Riku hiccupped. She raised her head. "Y-you think?" He smiled widely. "For sure!" Riku smiled weakly. "Thanks Kankurou." Her eyes drooped and she rested her head against his shoulder. In mere moments, she was asleep. Kankurou sighed. He kissed her forehead and rested his head against hers. "Get some good sleep, little dragon."

(Line)

**Riku's Dream**

Riku once again awoke in the silver and gold landscape. The deer stood, silent, above her. Riku blinked and sat up. "Am I asleep?" The deer nodded and walked to the pool of water. Only this time, the pool appeared to be a lake. The ripples in the lake caused by the rain were all different colors. One was red, blue, purple, and green. Riku walked to the edge and sat down, her mouth hanging open slightly. The deer picked up a jade stone in its mouth. It dropped it in her lap and stood back. Riku picked up the rock, confused. "Do you want me to throw it?" The deer nodded. Riku frowned. "Why aren't you talking?" A sad look entered the deer's eyes, before it turned to look at the lake. Riku sighed. "All right, all right. I'll throw the damn thing." Riku drew her arm back, and then threw the stone. It landed in the middle of the lake, and the ripples turned bright red and green. Riku blinked as an image of Gaara on an injured Sasori's back came into view. Deidara was slung across his shoulder as well, unconscious. Riku growled. "Where are they taking him?!" She felt a weight in her lap, and saw a black stone. She looked at the deer, which had not moved. She shrugged. **Might as well. **She threw the stone into the lake, and the ripples turned orange and violet. An image of a stone hand in a cave appeared. On each finger stood a member of the Akatsuki, while Gaara lay on the palm of the hand unconscious.

The image shifted to a forest, then a hidden trail, the border to the land of Wind, and finally Suna. Riku smirked. "You're showing me a map? Perfect." She memorized the directions immediately. She sat back as the pool went dark. "Hmm. Who do I ask for help?" Just as she expected, a stone appeared in her lap. Red this time. She threw the stone into the lake, and the ripples turned yellow and blue. An image of Naruto eating his precious ramen appeared. Riku blinked. **Of course! He would help me! **The pool went back to darkness, and Riku stood. The deer stood as well. "I don't suppose you could open the door again, could you?" The deer shook its head. Riku sighed. "Didn't think so." She heard a splashing sound, and turned to see the deer lifting its foot up and down in the water. Riku blinked. "Through there? I don't know…" The deer pushed Riku into the water with its antlers. Riku sweat dropped. "Alright already." She walked into the middle of the lake and stood still. The familiar blue light started at the bottom of the lake. She turned to thank the deer. "Thank yo-"She stopped. Instead of a deer, there was a woman with long wavy black hair. Her eyes were a soft brown, and she smiled and waved. Riku yelled as the light once again engulfed her. "MOTHER!!"

(Line)

Riku woke up again with a start. She looked up and saw a figure facing her, lying on its side. She noticed that an arm was around her shoulders and figured out who it was. "K-Kankurou?" The young man stirred slightly, pulling her closer to him. She blushed and tried again. "Kankurou?" No answer. She tried to sit up but he moved again, causing her to fall onto him. "KANKUROU!!" Temari and Baki burst through the door. He snapped awake and sat up, causing Riku to fall onto the floor. Kankurou was blushing **quite **a bit. "Kankurou! What were you doing?!"

"I-i…we fell asleep…I…um…" He was desperately trying to find an explanation. Temari cut him off. "How do you think Gaara would feel if he found out about what just happened?!" _**Well for starters, the guy would be in a puddle on the floor by now. **_Riku chuckled nervously as the 'argument' continued. "Well? How do you think he'd react?! HOW?!"

"GAARA ISN'T HERE!" As soon as those words hit Riku she started to cry. Baki looked at Temari. "You and Kankurou go get something to eat. I need to speak with Riku." Temari looked thoughtful for a moment before she agreed. She and Kankurou stood and walked out of the room, closing the door behind them. Baki watched the young girl cry, silent. He squatted on the floor in front of her, and gently put a hand on her shoulder. "Riku…I know its hard. Being a shinobi, then all of a sudden losing your eye-sight…"

"Oh, what do I do? I have to go to Konoha and get Naruto to help us, and…"

"And?"

"I-I…what if we get there too late? Oh god, what if he's already dead?! No…no…"

"He won't be dead. Why would you be worried about just that? What about Suna itself? You?"

"Its just that I…I can't lose Gaara. I just can't! I-i…um…" She sighed in defeat. "I love him." Baki blinked. "You can't be serious…**great." **A man suddenly opened the door.

"Sir, we just got news from Konoha! They've already sent some of their shinobi, accompanied by the Fifth Hokage herself! Get dressed Miss Riku, we gotta hurry! They're already at the border!"

"Go tell Temari and Kankurou."

"I already have, sir!"

"Alright, then tell Temari to come help Riku dress."

"Okay sir!" (1) The young man left. Baki stood up. "Riku, Temari should be coming shortly. I'll keep this between us until you want to tell them." And with that, his footsteps faded down the hallways. After a few moments, Temari walked into the room. She sat on the floor and pushed a kimono into Riku's arms. "Time to get prettified!" (2)

(Line)

**20 minutes later**

Riku gently smoothed out her new attire. She wore a blood red kimono with a large black dragon over the left breast, that wrapped around her side and ended at her right hip. A black sash was tied around her waist, and she had black heeled sandals on her feet. Her hair was down, save for a few braids here and there. Her lips were stained a dark red, and her eye-lashes were thick with mascara. Temari commented on her looking like a china doll because of her pale skin, much to Ryuu's amusement. Temari was now looking at her admiringly as she spun herself in front of the mirror. "There. Now lets go meet the Leaf-nin, okay?" Riku nodded in agreement. They both walked down the hall and into a large room. Inside stood Tsunade, Kakashi, Naruto, Sakura, and Kankurou. Temari guided Riku over to Kankurou. "I'll take her from here. You go help the other shinobi, okay Temari?"

"Yes." Temari swiftly exited the room, closing the doors silently. Kankurou put one of his arms around Riku's waist, ignoring Naruto's ogling. Tsunade stepped forward, wearing the Hokage's traditional robes. "Your eye-sight has failed, Riku Miyori?" Riku nodded, nervously. She felt Kankurou's hand reach for hers, and she smiled inwardly. "Well, that's an easy thing to fix. You, hold her still." Riku heard Kankurou's irritated muttering as he held her arm and smirked. Tsunade put her hands over Riku's eyes, and they started to glow with blue fire. "Close your eyes, dear." Riku closed her eyes, and immediately felt a tingling feeling. _**Holy schinzer! It feels like my head's going to sleep! **_Riku managed to keep her giggles in until Tsunade finished. She quickly opened her eyes, and grinned. "Thank you, Lady Hokage!"

"No problem. I've got things to work on back in Konoha, so you all be careful, okay?" Kakashi answered, "Of course." Tsunade left the group, accompanied by several Sand-nin. "So, Kankurou, Riku, how you been? And when did you get so…nice looking Riku?" Naruto asks. Riku giggled and Kankurou answered the question. "Well, in our current situation, not so well. As for the other thing…" He walked up to Naruto and slapped the back of his head. He then walked back over to Riku's side. "Hehe…right…" Naruto scratched the back of his head, wincing when he touched his 'injury'. "Gaara's gone…" Riku whispered, which gave her everyone's full attention. As she was once again on the verge of tears, Kankurou spun her to face him. As her black tear streaked face stared at him, he smiled warmly. "Don't cry, Riku. We'll find my brother, even if we have to turn over every damn stone there is!" Naruto jumped up and punched the air. "BELIEVE IT!!"

(Line)

Ryu: "So… I have written three pages so far! Yahoo! How about you Kila?"

Silk: "Um…Ryu…Kila's sleeping…"

Ryu: *looks at Kila*

Kila: "Zzzzz…."*twitch*

Ryu+Silk: *sweat drop*

//////////////////////////////

= Okay, Ryu wrote this part. I just have to comment on one thing: the random shinobi is always yelling! Like that! See that pretty exclamation mark?! Its his favorite!....okay randomness over.

= I'm sorry if I freaked you guys out with that word, but I just had to stick that in there! X3 P.S This is Kila talkin' here.


	6. Chapter 6

Ryu and Kila: "Yay! Chapter Six! Yeah!!"

Silk: *smacks forehead with hand* "What is WRONG with you people?!"

**Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto. Although Ryu wishes she owned Gaara, Riku Miyori and Ryuu are ours.**

* * *

**Chapter Six: Untouchable**

"So, um…Kankurou?" Naruto was trying to keep himself from laughing. "What is it, Naruto?"

"You still got Riku in a death grip, buddy." He then broke down and started laughing hysterically. Kankurou looked down at his hands and backed away quickly, all the while blushing furiously. "Oh! S-sorry, Riku!"

"That's okay." Sakura was staring at them with an amused expression. "Sakura, you've grown very pretty in the last few years." Sakura flushed slightly. "O-oh! Thank you, Riku. That means a lot especially coming from someone older and more beautiful then me." Riku blushed and smiled. "Um, would you like to speak privately, Riku?" She nodded. "Sure. Oh, how forgetful of me. It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Hatake." Kakashi blinked. "Nice to see you again too, Riku." Sakura and Riku walked over to a different area of the room, while Naruto was teasing Kakashi about being called "Mr."

Sakura started the conversation slowly. "So…what happened?"

"Well, our shinobi spotted two members of the Akatsuki, and stuff happened, we fought them and…and…oh god." She started to cry. "They got him! I can't believe they got him…" Sakura looked at the older girl and her eyes softened. "There, there." She put her arms around Riku and gave her a motherly hug.

**Half an hour later…**

All five shinobi stood at the edge of Sunagakure village. Riku had changed back into the leather outfit, much to Temari's displeasure. As they all looked out into the seemingly never-ending desert, Kankurou slowly reached out and wrapped his hand around Riku's. Riku looked down at their intertwined hands and then back at Kankurou's face. They stood that way for a few moments, before Riku let her hand drop. _**Poor child. **_Riku started to walk through the sand, followed closely by Naruto and Sakura. Behind them, Kakashi and Kankurou walked silently. Kakashi follows Kankurou's gaze and winded up looking at Riku. He sighed and took out his precious novel. "You'll never get her, you know." Kankurou looked at him in shock. "W-what are you talking about?"

"You're in love with her, aren't you?" Kankurou looked down in defeat. "Yeah."

"Well I hate to burst your bubble, but she's…untouchable."

"Yeah, I know." He sighed. "What do I do?" He looked at the silver haired Jounin with hope. "Nothing. Just let fate run its course."

"But…but…no! No, I can't! Gaara can not, will not, love her as much as I do! He'll end up hurting her… I can't have that. I care for her too much for that." Kakashi blinked and smiled slightly. "You sound like someone I used to know…" Kankurou raised an eyebrow, but nodded. He jogged up beside Riku, while Sakura fell back to talk to her Sensei. He smiled weakly. "Hey." Riku looked up at him thoughtfully. "Are you okay, Kankurou?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? It looks like something's bothering you. You can tell me if you don't mind, you know." Kankurou hesitated. "…Do you really love Gaara?" She looked surprised. A very sad, melancholic smile made its way to her ruby lips. "…what a sad question…"

* * *

"We've been walking for six hours!" Sakura sighed. "Quit complaining, Naruto! It's irritating." Naruto looked at her. "I was only trying to lighten up the mood." As the two shinobi bickered, the group neared a tree line. "Once we get through this line of trees, we should hit a clearing. We'll spend the night there."

"How do you know that?" Riku turned to Kakashi and smiled. "A ghost told me so." Naruto bolted forward towards the trees. "Oh yeah! We get to rest!"

The group walked underneath the trees strange bone like branches for five minutes. Riku and Kankurou were in the lead, as they walked further into the skeletal forest. After a few minutes, they finally found green grass and flowers. The clearing was mainly a large field dotted with yellow flowers and a small creek running through the center. On the right side, the greenery of the forest began. They set up camp close to the creek. Riku looked at the tents thoughtfully. **We're missing something…ah! Right! A fire. **She looked at Kankurou. "Do you want to come with me to get some firewood?" Kankurou looked at her blankly."…sure…" The two stood and walked to the edge of the trail. "Hey! Were you guys going?!" Riku turned to see Naruto jumping up and down, impatiently. Riku chuckled. "We're just getting firewood, Naruto. Don't worry." She stepped through some small bushes and kept walking through the green half of the forest. Kankurou quickly followed after her, staying hot on her trail.

The two of them walked for more then ten minutes. As Riku walked to a pile of wood, two hands grabbed her from behind and wrapped around her waist. "K-kankurou…?!"

"Sorry, Riku. There's a large hole there. Watch out." He let go of her, as she looked down at the ground. "Oh, thank you." He nodded, and returned to picking up wood. Once they gathered enough wood, they started walking back. At that time, it was quite late in the evening. A rumbling in the distance stopped them and Riku groaned. "Not rain!" Kankurou sighed. "We'd better hurry if we want to make it back in time." They began to run faster, but soon they were stuck in the middle of a down-pour. Riku began to shake, as her entire outfit and herself were drenched. Kankurou quickly looked around for cover, as he was shaking as well. He spotted a cave and led Riku towards it. Once they were inside, Riku took off her jacket and shoes. Kankurou blushed, as her chest was exposed. She grinned and pulled her shirt down even more. Kankurou completely flushed and turned his head. "D-don't tease, Riku!" She stuck out her tongue and looked around. The cave was quite small, with a small puddle of water dripping from the ceiling. The rain fell quite hard outside the cave, the sound nearly deafening her. "R-riku?" She turned to see Kankurou standing behind her with a guilty look on his face. **Oh great. Now what? **Kankurou had a slight blush on his face, as he stood quite close to her.

"Kankurou?!" He backed her up against the cave wall and put his hands on either side of her head. "What are…?" He quickly kissed her, lightly hitting her head on the wall. She felt him put his legs on either side of her, pressing her into the wall. "Mmph!" She shoved him away and quickly jumped to the other side of the cave. She was breathing heavily and her eyes were wide. Kankurou gulped. "I'm sorry…I…just…needed to know." Riku sat down across from him, wary of how close his hands were. "Needed to know…what?" Kankurou glanced down at his lap before looking at her. "I…love you, Riku." _**I knew it!! **_Riku sat frozen in shock. "I needed to know if you felt the same. I should have suspected that you didn't feel the same…sorry…" Riku crawled over to his side and kneeled in front of him. She took one of her hands and held it to her face. "Your right. I don't love you. But…" She lifted his face up with one of her fingers. "…you're my brother Kankurou, just as Temari is my sister. I suppose you could say I love you, but not in the way that I love Gaara." Kankurou took his hand back and stood. He walked to the cave entrance and stood watching the sheets of water fall. He sighed and turned back around. "Thanks, Riku. I guess…that's enough for me."

* * *

Kila: *glares at Ryu* "I. Hate. You."

Ryu: *puppy-dog face* "Why?!"

Kila: "You made me write when I wanted to read Black Cat…" *whimper*

Ryu: "….oh…."

* * *

**In the morning…**

Riku glanced at the still sleeping Kankurou. **Why…Why would he do that? He knows I love Gaara… **_**Riku! Hurry! We have to get to the camp! NOW! **_Riku jumped up. **Wh- **_**Not now! GO! **_Riku ran to Kankurou and shook his shoulder violently. "Wake up! Now!" Kankurou snapped awake, his eyes wide with surprise. "What is it!?"

"Just move! We've got to go back to camp! NOW!" Without another word he followed the panicking girl through the forest and back to the campsite. When they arrived, the other three shinobi looked at them in surprise. Riku looked through her mind for Ryuu's presence. **What is it, Ryuu?! There's nothing wrong! **_**Go about fifty meters west and you'll see what I mean… **_Then he was gone. Kakashi walked up to Riku. "What the matter, Riku? You look sick." All of her companions had genuinely worried expressions. "I-I don't know. I just know that we have to go fifty meters west, but we have to hurry, please!" She was now on the verge of hysterics. She started to run in the direction that the dragon had told her to. **Ryuu, what's going on?! **She got no answer. **Ryuu!! **

Kakashi caught up with her and started running beside her. "Riku, what's going on?! Slow down!" She was so concentrated on trying to talk to Ryuu, she didn't hear him. "Watch out!" At just the right moment, Kakashi grabbed Riku's wrist, pulling her towards him. If he hadn't of, she'd have fallen into a ravine. "Riku, what's wrong?" She looked up at him as she tried to get away from him. "I don't know. Ryuu didn't tell me." Kakashi, Sakura, and Naruto looked perplexed. Kankurou sighed. "She's infested with a dragon demon." Both of their jaws unhinged, while Kakashi just stared at her. Riku glared at Kankurou. "Ryuu isn't a demon, he's a **god.**" They all stared at her in disbelief. Riku tried to stand up, but Kakashi wouldn't let her. "No. What did 'Ryuu' say?"

"He just said to go about fifty meters west."

"'He'?"

"…don't ask." She finally got away from Kakashi and turned around. "We have to go this way, okay? Just…trust me." They started to walk in the direction she had specified, being careful to go around the ravine. After a few moments, Naruto walked up beside Riku. "So…you have a …demi-god inside you?"

"No, not a demi-god. A **god.**"

"Huh. Well, I'm kinda like you. I have a…demon… inside me." She looked at him with fondness and a smile. "I know." They came to a clearing with tall grass. Somewhere in the middle, a figure was lying down on its back. The figure had bright red hair. Riku's eyes went wide, and she bolted through the field towards the figure. "GAARA!!"

* * *

Kila: "We are oh so cruel."

Ryu: "Just think about how much your going to have to type once you get your computer back."

Kila: "…" *pit o gloom*

Ryu:*snicker*


	7. Chapter 7

Ryu: "Yay! Chapter Seven!"

Kila: "…you say that almost every chapter…"

Ryu: *pout* "Don't burst my bubble…."

**Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto…..Do we seriously have to write this at the beginning of EVERY chapter? We only own Ryuu, Riku, and the plot. Actually…now that I think about it, a friend of Ryu's helped us with the plot….**

**WARNING! CONTAINS **_**MASSIVE**_** FLASHBACK!**

* * *

_**Chapter Seven: Gaara of the Sand**_

Riku trembled as she knelt by Gaara's still form. She saw the others crouch beside her out of the corner of her eye, as she put her hand on his chest. Tears immediately formed in her eyes and she withdrew her hand. Kankurou caught her as she fell to her side, facing the young Kazekage. "Riku! What's wrong?!" She looked up into their concerned faces, un-able to tell them the truth. Sakura moved to feel for his pulse and sighed. "Gaara isn't breathing, and has no heartbeat…he's…dead." Riku crawled to his side and put his head in her lap, her hand running through his coarse curly hair. She frowned. **Wait… **_**Doesn't Gaara have silky , soft, gorgeous- **_**Can it. **_**Just trying to help. **_Riku refrained from rolling her eyes, as she rubbed her finger over his tattoo. The symbol smudged under her finger and she sniffed it. **Paint?! **She heard the cry of a hawk and her eyes widened. She quickly grabbed Temari and Kankurou, as 'Gaara' exploded into little bits of clay. Sakura, Baki, and Kakashi had been talking a ways away and had been saved from the brunt of the explosion. Naruto however wasn't so lucky and was flung straight into Riku. They were both flung straight into a tree from the impact.

"Ow…sorry Riku!" Naruto quickly scrambled off of her and pulled her up, dusting her clothing off. She grabbed his hands and pulled him down, shuriken and kunai brushing the top of her hair. Naruto patted his hair in shock, as Riku glanced around. The others had hidden in the trees as well, and she could only see Kakashi's weird ass hair. She sweat-dropped. _**A bush with silver hair? That's a new one. **_**At least he's hiding…sort of. **Another explosion went off and Riku's eyes slit. **Deidara. **Riku gritted her teeth and clamped down on her hand. Her teeth pierced flesh and she heard Naruto gasp. **Ryuu. We need to stay calm this time. They'll be expecting us. **_**…fine.**_ She pulled her hand out of her mouth and licked up the remaining blood. "What the hell were you doing?!"

"Ryuu's getting pissed off."

"Hunh?"

"The dragon god inside of me has unfinished business with the terrorist. Can you and the others handle the puppet master?"

"…sure?"

"Thanks. We'll catch up with you once we're finished." Riku jumped out of the tree and rolled behind a boulder, behind Sasori. She only had time to crouch, before Deidara was beside her. She narrowly avoided a punch to the rib-cage by flipping over the stone to the other side. She bent nearly in half to avoid the scorpion's tail, hissing in pain. She saw about two dozen Naruto's ram into Sasori and she back-flipped away, to meet Deidara's elbow in her stomach. She slid on her back into another three other boulders. _**Where the hell do these things come from? The sky?!**_** Will you be serious for once? **_**What?! **_Riku quickly moved to the side, as Deidara's leg went through the spot where her head had been. His leg got stuck in the earth and he tripped onto his face. "GOD DAMNIT, UN!!" Riku sweat-dropped. _**He's in the Akatsuki? **_**Apparently. **_**That's just sad. **_Riku sighed and drew the pins from her hair. They transmuted into twin blades and took a Taijutsu stance. **An enemy is an enemy. No matter how strange they may seem. **Deidara got his leg out and turned to her. "Aw, man! Not swords, un!" Riku smirked. She was in front of him, then behind him, then beside him. He watched in shock, as six blades pierced him, instead of two. He screamed in pain and collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily.

"W-what…?" He felt all the 'injuries' she had given him, and didn't even feel a tear of cloth. He looked up at her. "What the hell was that, un?" Riku began to chuckle. It sounded as if two people were laughing, a man and a woman. The sound echoed, giving it a chill factor of 10. Deidara shivered. "What **are **you?" Riku looked up into his eyes as Ryu spoke directly through her. "I am the dragon lord of fear and pain. And you; have. Pissed. Me. Off." Deidara gulped loudly as a deep rumbling growl started. Riku crouched down and held the swords at arms length as she felt Ryuu's chakra leak out of her pores and concentrate on her swords. **Ready? **_**Hell yes. **_She smirked insanely as Ryuu's black chakra instantly appeared, winding its way down her swords. It covered her body in scales of black mist and the wings appeared, as well as the tail. **Together this time, alright? **_**Yeah, yeah. Just kill the guy! **_**…Now, now Ryuu. Let's not contain our excitement. **_**Shut up. **_Riku darted forward, her blades aimed for his neck.

A loud poof of smoke halted her, and she leapt back. That same damn eagle came out of the smoke with Deidara on its head. Riku smirked and flapped her wings once, launching herself after him. He started to sweat a little. He raised his hands, fingers holding smaller bombs. He threw them at her aiming for her wings. She snapped her wings in close to her body and they sailed past her, exploding behind her. She opened her wings and flickered behind him. He twisted around, more bombs ready. She quickly landed in front of him and raked her claws through his chest. He yelled in pain and fell to his knees clutching his chest. Riku flipped her swords in her hands, taunting him. The eagle twisted its head and tried to bite Riku, failing miserably. She dodged its beak and swung her sword downwards. She cleaved its head right of its neck. She heard Deidara chuckle as they began to fall. She glared at him through Ryuu's red irises, halting his laughter. "What's so funny, kid?" His face was blank as she lifted him up by his throat, claws digging into his jugular. "What's. So. Funny?" Deidara wheezed and gasped, clawing at her hand.

"I-I know…where…he is…" Riku's eyes widened and she dropped him. _**Where the hell's the ground? **_**Hush! **She stepped on his chest with her right foot, forcing him onto his back. "Where is he?" Deidara began to laugh again. "You're too late." Riku dropped to her knees, grabbing his collar. She roughly shook him back and forth. "What are you talking about?! WHERE IS HE?!" Deidara coughed up blood, laughing. Riku drew back her sword to cut his head off, when she caught sight of the ground. Deidara quickly sat up and whispered in her ear, "He's in the Akatsuki's lair, and you will never see him again." Riku's eyes slit, as they finally collided with the long lost earth.

* * *

Riku groaned in pain. There was a searing, burning pain in her ribcage. Feeling slowly returned to her body, making her wish it hadn't. She didn't dare open her eyes. She felt blood dripping from her temple, running down her face. She clenched a fist and nearly screamed. She very slowly opened her eyes. She saw that she was a few inches off the ground, her feet just brushing the ground. Her hair hung around her vision like a curtain, sticky with blood. She looked down at her ribcage and grimaced. She had been flung at a tree and had impaled herself, just below her left breast. She glanced around herself fighting back nausea. She could see the shattered remains of the eagle, but she couldn't see the blonde. She could hear his labored breathing, so he must have been hurt like her. Hopefully worse then herself. She tried to move her arms back to push off from the tree, panting. She pulled her legs up, bracing herself off of the branch. Very slowly, she pushed with her arms and legs, sliding off with sickeningly slow movements.

She finally pulled it out of her back, falling ungracefully onto the forest floor. She lay there, panting. A tear slipped down into her hair as she tried to focus her eyes. **Ryuu? **_**…ugh…what happened? **_**We were flung onto a branch. **_**Ow…damn that hurts… **_**Mm. **She took a deep breath and tried to sit up. She grit her teeth as she felt her blood pour out from her stomach. _**H-Hey! Stop moving, woman! What do you think you're doing!? **_She closed her eyes as she got to her knees, breathing heavily. **I have to…find him… **_**alright. No dieing, got it? **_She chuckled quietly. **Yes sir. **She clawed her way up the tree so that she was standing, though she was leaning against it heavily. She glanced around, brushing her hair out of her face. Pieces of the eagle were everywhere, the main body enveloped in a small crater. She pushed off the tree staggering towards another one a few feet away. _**Do you even know were you're going? **_**Of course. Mother showed me a map. **_**…you're mother? **_**Yes, she lives in my inner dimension. **_**…I see… **_Riku stopped and slumped against a tree to catch her breath. **Ryuu? Is something wrong? **_**…hm? Oh, nothing. Just thinking about how I met you're mother… **_She blinked as she started walking again. **Did you know my mother? Please tell me about it. **She heard Ryuu sigh. **Please? **_**…all right, You're mother's name was Isabeau. When I first saw her, she was pregnant with you. I was traveling the human realm back then, making reports of what I found. I had never seen this before, so I stayed to see what would happen. **_Riku laid down underneath a willow tree when she found a fork in the road. **What do you mean…'never seen before'? **_**Us dragons lay eggs remember? **_Riku burst out laughing, picturing Ryuu as a hatchling. _**Oh ha ha. Where was I…oh yes. I began to notice that you're mother was always bruised. Sometimes it was even her face. I saw you're father shortly after I began to notice. **_Riku shivered at the thought of her father.

_**Yes, those were my thoughts exactly. The man was beastly and cruel. He treated her like a child, never taking her seriously, laughing at her. I got fed up with his actions and approached her in my human form. I don't know how, but she recognized me immediately. Perhaps it was my eyes… **_**Your eyes? **_**Here, I'll show you. **_Riku gasped as an image of his human form appeared in front of her. He was six or seven feet tall with long flowing black hair. He had bright crimson eyes, and he was thin, almost frail. His skin was pale like mist, adding to his red eyes. His nails were curved claws, his fingers long and thin.. His face features were harsh and triangular. His ears were pointed, a small black hoop in each. A black cloak covered one side of his body, an obsidian stone clasped at his neck. Underneath was a black turtleneck sweater to his knees, with a silver rope belt around his waist. Black tights fell into brown boots at his knees with crisscrossing black rope over them. Riku sweat dropped. **Well, I can see why she recognized you.**

**(MASSIVE FLASHBACK STARTS HERE)**

_**Oh shut up. Anyways, I admitted to being part of the Dragon Court and asked her about her husband. She said that she loved him, and you, and that's all she needed. At first I thought she was insane. I knew nothing of love, but as little as I knew, I knew that this wasn't it. I tried time and time again, but she denied it every time. I soon gave up and went back to my original plan. When I told her of my mission, she smiled at me and accepted. A real smile, one that no one had ever given me before. I felt my heart skip a beat, and that's probably when it started. I made every excuse possible in order to see her. I blamed it on wanting to experience everything I could while I was in the village. Which was partly true. The full truth was that I wanted to do those things with her. As the weeks went by, her husband began to suspect something. As Isabeau's pregnancy progressed, I saw her less and less. One night in my cave, I had been pacing, I got a message from the Dragon Court. I told them that I was waiting for you to be born. They ordered me to return at once, saying my energy would effect you. I reluctantly agreed, knowing it was true. I went down to the village to say goodbye. When I reached her home, I heard the two fighting.**_

_**Because of my hearing, I went into a nearby tree to listen. They were fighting about how she had been seeing me so much. He thought that she was having an affair with me. She argued that I was just a friend, nothing more. The words stung, but they were the truth. He didn't listen to her. That was the night I found out how she got her bruises. **_Riku sobbed. The tears had started when he began to talk about her mother. Now they poured down her cheeks. _**…should I stop? **_She wiped her eyes, sniffing. **N-no…I need to hear all of it. **She heard Ryuu sigh, before he continued his story. _**The next morning I approached her, out rightly telling her what I had heard. She said nothing. No denial, yet no acknowledgement. I told her that she had to leave, to run. That was the first time she ever showed that something was wrong. She said that she couldn't travel with you in her belly. I asked her if she would be able to come to the cave where I was staying. When I described the distance to her, she said she couldn't. We thought for hours until she had to leave. I told her to back to the café tomorrow, that I would have it figured out by then. She smiled at me sadly, then walked away from me.**_

_**I was walking back to the cave when it finally hit me. It was tomorrow. Tomorrow was the appointed day of you're birth. If you were born, there was no ability in any spell book that could help her. I slept in my dragon form, trying to ease my nerves. When morning came, I flew as quickly as possible to the village, then turning back into a human. I could hear her in the hospital, in labor. My fears were realized when I heard him talking to her. He told her that everything was going to be okay, that nothing was going to happen to them. That was my first clue that something was wrong. When I reached the hospital room, I got my second clue. He was sitting beside you're mother holding her hand and petting her hair soothingly. It was wrong. It sickened me. I felt like ripping him apart. Then Isabeau called to me. I expected me to start yelling at me, telling me to get out. Instead, he ignored me and kept his attention on her. She reached out to me with her other hand. I walked across the room to her other side and took her hand in both of mine, kneeling beside her. She smiled at me and told me that she was happy that I was there. He left after she said that. I guess he reached his emotional limit. I made small talk with her, to keep her occupied. After awhile she asked why I was still here and not with the Dragon Court. I lied, telling her I still wanted to see you. If she noticed I was lying, she didn't say anything. Instead, she asked me if I could show her anything.**_

_**I was hesitant to do so. The highest law was to keep our existence a secret. At that point though, I knew I might not be able to see her again, and I wanted her to remember me. So I released the containment spell on my wings. She gasped in delight, running her fingers over my scales. **_Riku frowned. **But you don't have scales…**_** A side effect of the sealing spell removed me from my true form. Back to the story. I was holding her shoulders, bracing her as she ran her fingers over the veins in my wings. It was at this moment that you're father returned. He screamed in fear at the sight of my black scales. He began screaming that I was a demon, and had stolen his wife from him. I didn't bother hiding myself, it was far too late for that now. He moved towards her, his fist raised. I moved in front of her. Where his fist connected, my scales reappeared. I growled at him, raising a fist as well. A hand on my arm stopped me from punching his lights out.**_

_**It was Isabeau. Even though he had threatened herself and you, she didn't want me to hurt him. As I stared at her, he ran out the door, screaming 'demon!'. I told her that we had leave. She wouldn't listen, saying it would endanger you. I didn't know what to do. If I left, who knows what they would do to her? But if we stayed, we would both die. She said that I could go, that a Dragon Lord needn't die for a human. I closed and locked all the doors and windows, sealing them with my chakra. I didn't look her in the eyes. I told her that I wasn't a Dragon Lord dieing for a human. I was a man dieing for a woman that he cared for. I could hear her crying, and held her to my chest. We stayed in that room until you were born.**_

_**My chakra seals held until you were safely delivered and in her arms. They broke down the doors and windows, going straight for her. I remember my temper snapping, and all of the illusions fading. I ripped the roof off and stretched my wings out. The men were screaming, especially you're father. **_She heard his dark laugh, as Riku realized that in real time, the sun was sinking below the horizon. _**I killed them all with one hand, forming a cage with my claws on the other hand around Isabeau. Then she pointed behind me and screamed for me to run. I turned and saw a young man with bright orange hair and about a million face piercings, then a blinding white light. I screamed in pain, and then blacked out. The last thing I remember, is hearing Isabeau's scream…When I awoke, I was inside your infantile body. You're mother was already dead…. **_Riku crawled deeper into the forest, settling beneath a thick evergreen. The moon was out, and made her blood look like liquid silver. She closed her eyes and hugged her knees to her chest. **You loved my mother didn't you, Ryuu? **_**...Yes. I suppose I did… **_**I'm so sorry…Its my fault she's dead… **_**Go to sleep Riku. **_She frowned. **Ryuu? **_**…goodnight, Riku. **_She sighed and relaxed her muscles. Soon she fell asleep. Ryuu, however, stayed awake. He thought about what he had told Riku. Did he truly love Isabeau? Yes, he had. She had asked him to take care of Riku. So when she faced the Akatsuki, that was what he was going to do. As a Dragon Lord.

* * *

Kila: "Oh my god… _ SO MUCH WRITING!!"

Ryu: "Yeah, no kidding…"

Kila: "That took me a year!"

Ryu: *sweatdrop* "That's some writer's block."

Kila: *nods* "And when I finally started to write again, I wasn't allowed to use the computer!"

Ryu: "Harsh….."

Kila: *crying*

Ryu: *pats on the back*turns to screen* "Review please! Oh, and we wondering if we should maybe do how Ryuu met Isabeau as a prequel or something. Gives us you're thoughts on that too!"


	8. Chapter 8

Kila: *turns to Ryu* Can I do the part were she finds the Akatsuki? I've got a really good idea!"

Ryu: "But you did the last chapter-

Kila: *stuffs a bun in her mouth*ties a gag on her*

Ryu: "…….." *holds up her middle finger*

Kila: ^^ "So I can write the next chapter? Thanks pal!"

Ryu: *megadeath glare*

Kila: *ignores* "Hope you enjoy chapter eight!"

**Disclaimer: Once again, we own nothing but Ryuu, Riku, and the plot.**

* * *

_**Chapter Eight: Dragon's Breath**_

Riku blinked and jolted upright. She glanced around quickly. She was till under the tree, moon glowing. **Ryuu? How long was I out? **_**Not long. Only an hour or so.**_ **Hmm...can you hear anyone else? **_**...Deidara and Sasori are returning to the Akatsuki cave. The humans are licking their wounds, preparing a game plan. **_**Speaking of wounds.... **She focused her eyes on her body, trying to find her previous wounds. Most of the small ones had healed. Her stomach and ribcage were almost healed, though very tender. She crawled out from underneath the tree and tried to stand. She immediately swayed and fell back down to her knees. She closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead the other balancing her. **W-what.... **_**You're blood still hasn't regenerated. You're body is still suffering from blood loss.**_ **Oh that's just great... **She tried again, successfully standing upright.

**Which way, Ryuu? **_**You're asking me...because why?**_She rolled her eyes as she started walking. **BECAUSE I can't see in the dark. **_**Oh. Ri-ight. Just keep going till you find a river or stream of some kind.**_ **'kay... **She kept walking, stumbling on a rock occasionally. When she finally reached the river she was panting. She collapsed to her knees at the river's edge, taking a handful of water and putting it to her lips. The cool water refreshed her dry throat and she sighed. _**Come on, let's go!**_ **Alright, alright, I'm going! **She pushed herself to her feet again, brushing off her knees. **Okay now where? **_**Follow it downstream for awhile.**_ She groaned. **How long do I have to walk before I find this place?! **_**Less complaining more walking!**_ She muttered profanities as she tripped and stumbled her way down the river.

_**Stop!**_ Her feet stopped of their own accord and she tripped, falling into the river. She growled. **Ryuu... **_**Oh be quite. Its not my fault you always trip.**_ She sighed and rubbed the dirt and grime off of herself as she sat in the river. **So why'd you tell me to stop? **_**The cave is right over there.**_ She froze and turned very slowly. **W-where? **_**On you're right.**_ She turned back around to her right, quietly getting to her knees. She looked very closely and saw an opening. **Are you sure? I thought there'd at least be a genjutsu protecting it... **_**Maybe they forgot?**_ She rolled her eyes. **Yes, Ryuu. S-class criminals forgot to lock the door to their cultist hideout. What do you hear inside? **_**...some guy preaching about world domination.**_ She sweat dropped as she crawled out of the river. **So ego-maniacs? Great... **Ryuu chuckled as she neared the cavern's entrance. _**Their in the very back, so you've got some time.**_** How many? **_**All of them...**_** You wouldn't happen to have a kick ass jutsu up you're sleeve would you? **Ryuu's laugh echoed in her mind as she entered the pitch black cave. It was so dark she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. Soon she became aware of a voice, chanting. _**That sounds like a jutsu...Hurry Riku!**_ She picked up her pace as the tunnel slowly gained a soft glow of light. She finally reached an entrance to a room and slid up against the wall. She closed her eyes and prepared herself.

_**Okay, here's the deal. Once they begin the "extraction" or whatever, they can't stop. And afterwords their completely drained. They'll be defenseless!**_** If we wait that long it could kill him! **_**Sakura and Chiyo are with that Naruto kid. They can help him.**_** Ryuu...no one can come back form the dead. **_**That's just it! The old lady can use this awesome jutsu to transfer her life to his. It'll kill her, but it'll work!**_** I can't possibly ask her to do that! **_**She's already planning to!**_Riku inhaled sharply.** So...just...wait? **_**Yep.**_ **For how long? **_**Look in the room for a minute. I need to see how far they've gotten.**_ She opened her eyes and turned her head, careful that that was the only part of her body that moved. Her eyes widened as she looked in the cave. There was a set of stone hands, fingers reaching upwards. Each member stood on the finger tip of their respective rings. She squinted and tried to see who was there. She could see Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki along with Deidara and Sasori. The others she didn't know. When her gaze fell upon the speaker, she felt a wave of rage and blood lust hit her. She clamped a hand over her mouth and squeezed her eyes shut. **Ryuu what's wrong?! **_**That man...that man was the one sealed me away!!**_ She felt nauseous, then she passed out.

* * *

Riku felt a warm hand on her forehead and groaned. Her eyes blinked open to see a woman knelt at her side. She gasped.

"M-mom?!" Isabeau smiled gently. Riku bolted upright and clasped her hands around the woman's waist, burying her face in her neck. She sobbed gently as Isabeau stroked her hair gently.

"What's the matter, my darling?"

"R-ryuu told me about how I was born. It's all my fault! He wouldn't be stuck in my body if-" Isabeau put a finger to her lips.

"Hush. Now, where did you get these silly ideas?"

"B-but..."

"No buts. Ryuu did what he did because he loved me. None of that is you're fault, Riku." She sniffed lightly.

"But if you hadn't have been pregnant with me he could have saved you!"

"If I hadn't been pregnant with you, then he would have never stopped at the village to begin with." Riku blinked, sitting back.

"...I suppose..."

"Now, why have you come back?" Riku gasped.

"Oh no! Ryuu!" Her mother's face scrunched up with worry.

"What about him? What's going on?"

"Okay, you know how the Akatsuki took Gaara right? Well it turns out that their leader is the one who sealed him inside me."

"...Oh dear..."

"W-what?"

"Ryuu's going to blow a gasket..." Riku sweat dropped.

"Well, I'll take any help I can get I guess..." Isabeau chuckled, ruffling her hair.

* * *

Ryuu growled. Riku's eyes had literally turned red with his rage. His chakra seeped out of her pores, filling the room with a black mist. The man's chanting stopped, as all eyes were on him. A motion out of the corner of his eyes caused him to turn his head. Itachi, Kisame, Deidara, and Sasori were all leaving. He caught Itachi's gaze and smirked arrogantly. He glowered at Ryuu, but kept going towards the other exit.

"Itachi. Kisame. Deidara. Sasori. Where are you going?" Itachi turned and bowed as the others left.

"Run to fight another day is the saying I believe." With that, he turned and left as well. Ryuu's gaze stayed locked on Pein, eyes glowing a vibrant red with fury. He raised an eyebrow.

"Just one little girl? Pitiful..." He snapped his fingers and a blue haired kunoichi near him nodded. She jumped down and went straight for Ryuu. He rubbed his hands together and breathed on them, creating small sparks. As she drew closer he spun around in a circle, hand extending towards her. Out of his palm shot a blast of golden fire, immediately burning down till she was nothing but ash. He smirked, kicking the ash into the wind. Pein's eyes met his and confusion flickered through his eyes. Ryuu glanced at the other Akatsuki members and smiled, fanged teeth glinting.

"Dragon's Breath. The hottest flame in this verse. And..." He snapped his fingers, creating a small ball of fire in his palm.

"You can't put it out." Pein glared at him. He raised his arm, signaling for the rest of the Akatsuki to attack. Ryuu smirked and raised his now clawed hand.

"Come into my parlor, little flies."

* * *

"So, Mom, how did you get sealed in me with him?"

"Well, I'm honestly not sure. I think it was my guilt over him sacrificing himself for us."

"But Mom, he loved you!" She smiled sadly.

"Yes, that's why I felt guilty. Not only did he lose his body, but his place in the Dragon Court as well."

"What? How?"

"Dragon's pride themselves in not interfering with history. They're records; not heroes. By saving us and exposing himself, he forfeited his place in court." Riku frowned.

"That doesn't seem fair..."

"To us; no. But to them? Yes." Riku huffed and crossed her arms, looking around.

"So....now what?"

"...not sure really..."

"Great...."

"...how do you think he's doing?"

"Probably blown up the place by now..."

"Probably..."

* * *

Ryuu laughed darkly. Around him, most of the Akatsuki lay dead. The only ones remaining were Pein and Tobi. Tobi was breathless, his mask knocked off long ago, while all six of Pein stood around him in a circle. Ryuu started forming hand signs, must faster then they could see. _**Tiger, Horse, Snake, Dragon! Dragon's Breath Jutsu!**_ An enormous tornado of golden fire everything around him. Both of his adversaries screamed in pain and fury, as the golden flames ignited in their skin. The corpses of the other Akatsuki also burned with them. The smell of burnt skin, hair and sulfur hanging in the air. Ryuu smiled sweetly at Pein as he burned.

"THAT is for sealing me in here." Pein gave a howl of fury, finally recognizing the arrogant voice. Ryuu smirked as the infamous Akatsuki organization turned to ashes around him. He let go of the jutsu, his chakra surprisingly low. He walked over to Gaara and hauled him onto his shoulders. _**Damn...this guys weighs a ton!**_ He grunted as he trudged through the thick layer of ash to the entrance of the cave. _**Must be his stupid gourd.**_He walked down the tunnel, exhaustion finally sinking in. He felt his knees buckle, and the ground coming up to meet him.

* * *

"Ah..."

"What is it?"

"I think it's time for me to go..." Isabeau drew Riku into a hug as tears started to fall from her eyes.

"Goodbye, my darling." Riku smiled weakly.

"Come one, its not like its goodbye forever, right?" Isabeau laughed quietly.

"Yes, of course..." Riku hugged her back fiercely.

"Bye Mom..." She pulled back and walked slowly through the lake's water. She turned one last time and waved to her mother. She still sat on the forest floor. She waved, tears falling to the ground. Riku's heart clenched, but she dove into the lake as the light engulfed her.

* * *

Kila: "...." X_X

Ryu: "Oh crap.." *pokes with a stick* "I think she kicked the bucket..."

Kila: *springs back to life* "I'M ALIVE!" *hips and back crack loudly at the same time* "...." *falls back down*

Ryu: *sweat drops*turns to the screen* Review please!


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

Ryu: "Due to stress, Kila may not be showing up during this chapter. Instead, we have my best friend Shelbie!"

Shelbie: "Finally I get some recognition."

Ryu: *sweat drops* "Ehenh...sorry...So how do you like what we've written so far?"

Shelbie: "It's awesome!"

Ryu: "Yays! So who's you're favorite?"

Shelbie: "Ryuu. Definitely Ryuu." *sighs dreamily*

Ryu: *sweat drops* "Knew it."

**Disclaimer: We don't own Naruto. We own Riku, Ryuu, and the plot. And as a side note, this is the longest chapter so far!**

_**Chapter Nine: There Be Dragons Here**_

Riku opened her eyes, putting a hand over them to block out the sun. She sat up slowly, her hearing seemingly blocked. A shadow loomed over her and she looked up. Naruto waved a hand in front of her face, saying something she can't hear.

"Okay...it's...Gaara's...Chiyo..." She looked over to the side and saw Gaara's body lying on its side, Chiyo in Sakura's arms. She rolled onto her knees and crawled over to him. She put one hand on either side of his head.

"G-gaara?" He slowly opened his eyes. He let out a deep breath as he nodded slowly. He sat up slowly, making Riku sit straight as well. He reached forwards and cups her cheek with his hand. He turns his head to look at the assortment of shinobi surrounding them and smirks. He leans forward and lightly presses his lips to Riku's. Her eyes grow wide before she closes them and returns the kiss, arms winding themselves around his neck. Within the crowd is a mix of happiness and animosity. Kankuro stares at them with wide eyes. **No... **Temari sighs, a huge smile on her face.

"Told you so!" She nudges Naruto in the ribs, his jaw on the ground. Sakura smiles, happy for Riku.

"Finally!" Gai, Tenten, and Neji all look shocked.

"It can **feel**?", they all say in unison. Lee puffs out his cheek and looks over at his team.

"Of course Gaara can feel! He saved me those years ago, didn't he? Though I am surprised myself...." They all look towards Riku and Gaara. Riku helped him stand up with the help of Baki. Once he was successfully upright he let go of Baki and tightened his hold on Riku's waist. He looked over towards Sakura and Chiyo, a sad look in his eyes.

"Let's all take a moment to pray for Chiyo."

* * *

"Just **sit down**!" Riku pulled at one of Gaara's hands, trying to make him sit down. He shook his head, pulling his hand from her grasp.

"I need to stretch, Rii." She rolled her eyes.

"You **just** got out of the hospital, stupid!"

"I need to be in shape if something happens. Our village is in ruins right now." She pouted.

"But that's the point! If something were to happen to you, what would we do?" He hesitated before firmly shaking his head.

"I need to be shape. People will look to their leader even more in a time of crisis." She sighed. A light bulb went off in her head and she grinned to herself evilly. She put on a fake sad face and stood up, scooting closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he watched her warily. She ran her finger up and down his arm, eyes watching her finger.

"What'll **I** do if something happens to you Gaara? I wouldn't know what to do with myself..." His eyes softened and he wrapped his arm around her waist, drawing her closer to him. She happily snuggled into his embrace, clutching her arms to her chest. She was wearing a simple black dress and sandals, mourning clothes. Her hair was down and she had in all her earrings. Gaara had on a plain black long sleeved shirt and black pants.

"I know how you feel Rii. But a good leader **must **be there for his village, he must be responsible for them." She nuzzled his neck.

"A good leader also knows when to stop." He chuckled and rested his chin on top of her head.

"Point taken." She sighed happily as they sat down in his awesome leather chair behind his desk. Inside she was laughing maniacally.

_**You're scary sometimes, you know that right?**_** Go away, you're ruining the moment. **She jumped when she felt him run his fingers up and down her spine, before purring and snuggling even more into him. He chuckled, before inhaling sharply. She immediately let go and stepped back.

"I'm sorry! Did I hurt you?" He shook his head, his skin a little pale.

"I'm fine." She glared at him and he sighed.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." He stood from his chair and she took his right arm. As they walked many shinobi gave their condolences, wishing him well. They reached his chambers and she opened the door for him, holding it open. She closed it and helped him into bed, pulling the covers over him. She smiled and bent down to kiss him on the cheek.

"Sweet dreams, little prince." He blushed slightly as he closed his eyes. Since the Shukakku had been removed he was now capable of sleep. She quietly left the room, leaving him to catch up on fifteen years of missed sleep. She walked down the hallways, waving to some new people she had met in the chaos. She found Temari talking heatedly with Baki and Kankuro. Curious, she walked closer. Temari seemed to be expressing the size of something with her arms.

"Its wings had to be at least a building long each! And it breathed fire! I swear it was dragon!" Riku blinked. Baki shook his head.

"That's impossible. Dragons haven't lived in our realm sine before the second Kazekage." _**That's what he thinks.**_ Riku chuckled before entering the conversation.

"Whatcha guys talking about?" Kankuro answered lazily, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

"Temari's trying to convince us she saw a dragon."

"A...dragon?"

"Yeah. She was patrolling around the village making sure the Akatsuki mess had been cleaned up, and apparently they got attacked by a 'dragon'." She turned to Temari.

"Are you sure it wasn't just a genjutsu?" Temari shook her head.

"I'm sure. It had no chakra pattern." _**Riku, ask her what color it was!**_

"Temari, do you remember what color this so called dragon was?" Temari stopped to think for a moment before she smiled. Inside Riku's head, Ryuu laughed. _**I swear I saw the light bulb...**_** Shh! **

"I'm almost positive it was red. Why?" _**Oh. Just a commander. Nothing to get TOO excited about, it was just sent to tell me that I've disappointed them again.**_** The Dragon Court? **_**Yeah.**_** Gr-eat.**

"No reason. Kankuro, mind coming for a walk with me?" Baki and Temari go back to quarreling as he blinks in surprise.

"S-sure?" The two start walking, the awkward silence making the air around them heavy. _**Maybe you should start Riku...**_

"So.." Kankuro looks down at her.

"So?" She sighs and stops walking. She looks him straight in the eye.

"You know this can never happen, right?" Kankuro blinks, completely confused.

"**What **can't happen?" Riku makes a gesture to show the both of them.

"Us. **We** can't happen, Kankuro. Please tell me you know that?" Kankuro looked down, clenching his hands into fists.

"I can always wish, Riku. I won't force you to do anything," Riku snorts and rolls her eyes, "hear me out. Now that I know you love Gaara, I won't force you to love me. But I want you to know that I am **always **there for you, and that I love you with my entire being." Riku looked at him helplessly, unable to say anything in return.

"At **least** allow me **one **dance at the ball this evening?" Riku smiled at him, happy the awkward moment had passed.

"Of course, Kuro-pii."

* * *

Riku sat in a chair at Gaara's bedside. She had her legs drawn up to her chest, her arms crossed with her chin resting on them. Gaara rolled over, opening his eyes and smiling.

"Hello."She giggled.

"Good morning." He sat up, the sheets falling down to expose his bare chest. She flushed and hid her face. She heard movements around her and opened her eyes to see him in front of her with a robe on.

"Sorry Rii." She scratched the back of her head.

"Ehenh, that's okay." She stood up, putting the chair back by the desk. "I have some news for you. Their both very scary, so pick A or B." He narrowed his eyes.

"A". She sighed.

"You picked the scarier of the two. Are you ready for tonight's ball?" He chuckled.

"Yes. And door number two?" Riku shrugged her shoulders.

"The Dragon Court sent a dragon here to give Ryuu a message." Gaara blinked.

"Dragon Court?"

"Its where Ryuu's from apparently."

"Ah." He grinned and took a step towards her.

"Are **you **ready for the ball?" She rolled her eyes.

"I'm not wearing a dress, if that's what you mean."

"Why not?" He took another step closer, putting an arm around her waist and pulling her up against him.

"I don't like them...", she breathes. He moves his head closer, his lips hovering over her's.

"For me?", he whispers. She can feel her knees buckle and he tightens his hold on her waist. She takes a moment to catch her breath.

"F-fine." _**And I thought YOU were scary...**_ He leaned back slightly, before furiously pressing his lips to her's. She's taken aback by his energy for a moment, then wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him back just as furiously. His hand slowly creeps up her torso under her shirt and she freezes. _**No, no don't stop now, this is amusing as HELL.**_ She pulled away slowly and looked him in the eye.

"G-gaara...", she whispers, barely audible, "I-i don't know if we should do this..." He nibbled her earlobe.

"Why not?" His voice was deep and husky, sending multiple shivers down her spine.

"W-well I do have another consciousness inside of me. That would be kind of awkward..." _**Hey! Do I look like I'm complaining?!**_ Gaara paused, lifting his head to meet her eyes.

"Ryuu. This is an order from you're Kazekage." He smirked,

"Get the hell out of my girlfriend." _**Only a Dragonic General, or the Queen, can remove me permanently from you're 'girlfriend'.**_ Riku flushed as Gaara licked her collarbone.

"Are you sure?" _**Positive.**_ He sighed and buried his face in her neck.

"And you won't if he's watching?" Riku shook her head, hair flying in all directions. He stood back and let his hands fall from her waist.

"I...understand." She glanced up and saw his eyes filled with disappointment. She winced.

"Sorry..." He smiled slightly and ruffled her hair.

"It's fine, Rii. It would be kind of awkward." He chuckled.

"So...there's a ball tonight?" She nodded, grabbing his hand and pulling him over to his closet.

"Temari said that you have to wear a tux or she's going to tie you up and shove you into the fan girls." He visibly paled. After gaining a more positive outlook on life, the female population had **definitely **noticed him. She regularly had to chase off girls with marriage proposals. It was kinda creepy... She pulled a tux out of his closet and laid it on the bed.

"There you go." She met his gaze and instantly flushed. He had already taken his shirt off and was try (and failing) to take off his pants. He growled slightly.

"Damn belt..." She sighed and walked over to him, smacking his hands out of the way. She undid his belt and slid it out of the pant loops for him.

"There." He just stared, a blank look on his face.

"Uhm...thanks?" Inside her mind, Ryuu was laughing his tail off. _**Why don't you just help him take off his pants too?**_ **Shut up!**

* * *

Riku groaned in annoyance. **I can't BELIEVE she's making me wear this! **She looked into the full body mirror and groaned again. Temari walked up behind her and fixed the dark green halter style dress, that elegantly fell to the floor in ripples. Riku shifted her weight uncomfortably from one forest green pump to the other.

"You look stunning Riku!" She groaned again, earning her a slap on the arm. **She didn't JUST make me wear this, but she HAD to curl my hair and put makeup on me!** A knock at the door made Temari walk over and leave her to her grumbling. She opened it and soft candle light flooded into the room. She shared a few words with someone, then looked back at Riku to see her bouncing the curls in her hair.

"Stop that, it's time to go." They walked towards the ballroom, heels clicking against the granite floor. The shinobi opened the door and she was instantly hit by the smell of expensive food and wine, and the sound of violins and harps. She looked around and saw the nobles and aristocrats of Suna decked out in their most extravagant jewels and silks. She noticed Gaara and Kankuro off to the side, leaning against a wall. _**Don't be such a party pooper, Riku. I've made some arrangements....so I'll be gone all-**_ For the first time in her life, her mind is filled with black silence. **Ryuu? Ryuu? Hellooooo? **Suddenly, the doors on top of the staircase open. Everyone quieted s the figure on the other side slowly became visible. He walked into the ballroom and every woman gasped, blushing. There Ryuu stood in a black tuxedo, a blood red rosebud tucked into the chest pocket. His hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, hanging over his shoulder. He gave a dazzling pointed smile to the ladies as he descended the stairs, hand on the railing. Riku twitched.

"RYUUUUU!" He stopped dead in his tracks, then spun on his heel and sauntered over to them. He scooped her up into his arms, ignoring the offended noises from the crowd of women. He whispered in her ear, his velvet voice even sending shivers down even **her **back.

"I'm out for the entire evening, Riku. Have fun." He set her down lightly on her feet and walked back into the midst of the aristocrats, leaving Riku with an uncontrollable blush. Gaara stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He whispered in her ear,

"How'd he get out"? She shrugged.

"He said he made arrangements....whatever that means." He smiled and kissed her jaw.

"How long will he be out?"

"...all night."

"Good", he whispers. She spun around, his arms still holding her.

"Feel up for dancing?" She looked over to Kankuro, who stood by Ryuu. She couldn't even imagine what that conversation would be like.

"I promised someone else the first dance, sorry."

* * *

Riku and Gaara walked hand in hand down the hallway towards his chambers. They stop at the door and he unlocks it, pausing to look back at her. She smiled at him.

"Thank you for forcing me into a dress, and forcing me to dance." He nodded, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. An awkward silence ensued before she rolled her eyes and kissed him softly. He wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss. She pulled back slightly to regain her breath.

"You really think this is a good idea?" He smirked slightly.

"Rii, I couldn't think of anything I'd rather do."

"Don't you mean 'anyone', cheese ball?" He laughed softly before pressing his lips to her's once more. She backed him up through the door, his sand closing it behind them.

* * *

Riku rolled over, her body tangled in sheets. Gaara is asleep beside her, an arm draped over her. She sighed, completely content. _**Guess I missed the show, hm?**_** I'm trying to relax, quiet. **She opened her eyes and smiled. Gaara's bathed in the sunlight flowing through the window, hair a brilliant flame, skin tinted with the colors of sunrise. She nestles a bit closer to him, eyes sliding shut. She breathes in his scent, holding it in, then regretfully letting it out. **I could stay like this forever... **_**Ugh. I've lived for thousands of years, but I STILL don't understand you humans.**_** And you never will... **Her eyes flutter open when she feels him move. She looks up to see Gaara watching her.

"Hey." He smirks and plants a kiss on her lips.

"Morning." She closes her eyes, intent on staying next to him, and she can still feel his passionate gaze on her face.

"I'm going to have to get up soon, you know." She makes a "hmm" sound, but doesn't move. They hear a knock at the door, then the sound of the door opening. They both look up with wide eyes, to see Kankuro. His whole face and posture looks hurt beyond repair.

"H-how could you?", he angrily whispers. Riku gulps as Gaara sits up, uncaring of the sheet that falls from his chest.

"What do you mean, 'how could you?' Am I not allowed to to make love to my girlfriend?" Riku flushed, choosing to stay out of this conversation. Kankuro's face scrunched up when Gaara called her his girlfriend.

"But..."

"But what? You're going to have to face it sooner or later." He looked his older brother straight in the eyes.

"She's. Mine." She sat up, holding the bed sheet to her chest.

"K-kankuro...wait..." He threw his hands up in the air.

"Fine, **Lord Kazekage**, you win. But when he hurts you, Riku, I don't know if I can be there for you." He turned on his heel and walked out. Gaara used his sand to close the door as he hugged Riku form behind.

"I will **never **hurt you, Rii. I swear on my life, I will keep that promise." She placed her hands over his around her waist.

"I know...I just wish I didn't have to choose between you two..."

"Unfortunately life's like that sometimes..." She sighed and leaned back against him. _**Uh...earth to Riku? Tell him about my idea!**_ She blinked as Gaara stood to get dressed. **Idea? **She could hear Ryuu groan in frustration. _**About the dragon general!**_** OH! **_**Dumb ass...**_** Shut up, stupid lizard. **_**Hey!**_ She stood up and walked over to Gaara as he pulled on his gourd.

"Um, Gaara?"

"Hm?"

"You know about the dragon Temari saw, right? Ryuu was wondering if we could maybe go see it and talk to it." He gave her a blank look.

"You want to talk...to a dragon?"

"Ryuu wants to know the message it had for him." He shrugged slightly.

"I'll consider it. It may take awhile, we need to fully recover from the Akatsuki's assault before either of us will be able to leave Suna." She nodded enthusiastically, beaming.

"Thanks, Gaara!" His lips twitched at the corners. He walked back over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. She blushed slightly, seeing as she had no clothes on. He gave her a soft kiss and her eyes slipped closed. She returned the kiss as she rested her hands on his chest. He pulled away with a smirk as she gave a small sound of disappointment. He kissed her forehead before slipping away from her. She blushed and covered her chest with her arms. He chuckled as he opened the door, careful to block her from anyone's view on the other side.

"I'll see you later, Rii."

"R-right!" The door gave a soft click as it shut. She gave a sigh as she grinned, spinning in circles. She felt her hair fan out around her as she danced in circles, giggling happily. _**Hey Skippy, you might want to get dressed.**_ She stumbled slightly and pouted. **Why? I'm having fun! **_**As appealing as getting sick from motion sickness sounds, we have to train a little. Actually, scratch that, a lot. Right now there's no way you can take on a dragon.**_ She huffed in annoyance, but knew better then to argue with him. She jumped over to her clothes, giggling as she hopped on the bed. **So how tough ARE dragons compared to humans? **_**...let's just say that a dragon can take out a biju**_(1)_** and leave it at that.**_

* * *

(1)= tailed beast

Ryu: "So what do you think?"

Shelbie: "Dragons can take out a biju? That's some epicness right there."

Kila: *pops out of a random window* "Epicness?"

Ryu+Shelbie: "AAH!" *jump into each others arms*

Kila: "..." *sighs*turns to camera* "Please review!"


End file.
